Jan 10, 2013—The following are news announcements made during the past week.

ThingMagic Reader to Be Part of ng Connect's Connected Service Vehicle DemoTrimble has announced that its ThingMagicMercury6 (M6) RFID reader will be part of the ng Connect Program's Connected Service Vehicle. Ng Connect, founded by Alcatel-Lucent, is working to bring together infrastructure, device, application and content companies to spur the development of next-generation, connected services and applications. One of its prototype initiatives, known as the Connected Service Vehicle, showcases a suite of cloud-based services designed to deliver office productivity to vehicle-based workers. In this concept vehicle, Trimble reports, the ThingMagic reader will be utilized to support work-order-based inventory-management and tool-tracking applications, in order to illustrate aspects of a typical service visit. As a collaborating member of the ng Connect Program, Trimble is providing the development platform for in-vehicle RFID solutions and sensor technology.

NXP Implements Mobile-Payment System at Its Dutch Production Facility
RFID solutions provider Identive Group has announced that its Cashless Betalen mobile-payment solution has been implemented by NXP Semiconductors, which is using the system at its production facility in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Identive provides the user interface and account-management software platform for the digital wallet utilized for the implementation, which is offered by Rabobank Group, one of Holland's leading banks. In addition, a Near Field Communication (NFC) RFID sticker from Identive, incorporating NXP's Mifare DESFire EV1 RFID chip, enables employees' phones to access and use the Cashless Betalen system. According to Identive, the solution currently allows up to 2,600 NXP employees to make quick, secure micro-payments at the company's cafeteria. Since the system's implementation in early December 2012, two of the café's four payment terminals have been designated as fast lanes that accept Cashless Betalen.

Zebra Technologies Certifies Omni-ID On-Metal Labels for Printer Compatibility
Ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tag manufacturer Omni-ID, has announced that Zebra Technologies has certified Omni-ID's IQ 400 and IQ 600 labels for successful deployment and printing with Zebra's RFID printer-encoders. The on-metal labels, unveiled in September 2012 (see Omni-ID Introduces Printable On-Metal RFID Labels), are part of Omni-ID's UltraThin line of tags aimed at making the RFID-tracking of metal and liquid items easier and less expensive. The IQ 400 and IQ 600 tags are designed to provide functionality in the form of a hard tag, the company reports, but can be printed on a thermal bar-code printer and then be affixed to an item via the tags' built-in adhesive. "Omni-ID has patented the science of on-metal RFID—now they've used that core technical capability to perfect the on-metal RFID label," said Michael Fein, Zebra Technologies' senior product manager for RFID, in a prepared statement. "Zebra's focus is on ensuring our products are easy to integrate and manage. By certifying the compatibility of our respective technologies, we are offering end users new, durable options they can seamlessly use for tracking assets in their operations."

Hong Kong RFID Intros Active RFID Reader EnclosureHong Kong RFID Ltd., an RFID hardware manufacturer, distributor and consultancy firm located in Hong Kong and South China, has introduced its Active RFID All-In-One Enclosure (model HKRAA-24E1). Designed for outdoor environments, the enclosure features a directional antenna inside it that can be used with the firm's Empress 2.4 GHz active RFID readers (models HKRAR-EMPOE and HKRAR-EMSP). The enclosure is compact, measuring 280 millimeters by 280 millimeters by 100 millimeters (11.02 inches by 11.02 inches by 3.9 inches), and is IP65-rated, meaning it is waterproof and dustproof. According to Hong Kong RFID, the directional antenna has achieved a maximum reading range of 150 meters (492 feet), when used with the firm's Hussar Slim Tags (model HKRAT-NT02). The enclosure can operate at a temperature range of -40 degrees to +60 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees to +140 degrees Fahrenheit).